Synthesis, preliminary biological evaluation and molecular modeling of some new heterocyclic inhibitors of TACE

Probing the bioactive compounds of Kigelia africana as novel inhibitors of TNF-α converting enzyme using HPLC/GCMS analysis, FTIR and molecular modelling

Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Converting Enzyme (TACE) mediates inflammatory disorder and contributes to the pathophysiology of a variety of illnesses, such as chronic inflammation and cancer. This study identified metabolites in solvent extracts of Kigelia africana as putative TACE inhibitors due to the plant's known anti-inflammatory properties. HPLC-MS/GCMS analysis was used to characterize tentative phytochemicals from K. africana. The identified metabolites (n = 123) were docked with TACE to reveal the lead compounds. Binding free energy, ADMET prediction, molecular dynamics simulation at 100 ns, and DFT calculation were further conducted. The results revealed that K. africana contains sterol, phenols, alkaloids, terpenes and flavonoids. The FTIR shows that the extracts had peaks that correspond to the presence of different functional groups. The quantum polarized ligand docking (QPLD) analysis identified compound (n = 3) with binding affinity higher than standard compound IK-682. The hits also had modest ADMET profiles, interacted with essential residues within TACE binding pockets, and formed stable complexes with the protein. The 100 ns MD simulation shows that the compounds formed fairly stable interactions and complex with the protein as evidenced through RMSF, RMSD and MM-GBA results. The HOMO/LUMO, global descriptive molecular electrostatic potential Fukui function aid in the identification of the compounds' atomic sites prone to electrophilic/neutrophilic attacks, and non-covalent interactions. This study suggests that K. africana's bioactive compounds are capable of mitigating inflammation by inhibiting TACE.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Design and synthesis of novel N-[3-(benzimidazol-2-ylamino)phenyl]amine and N-[3-(benzoxazol-2-ylamino)phenyl]amine derivatives as potential anticancer agents

In this contribution, we report the design, synthesis and cytotoxicity studies of a series of N-[3-(benzimidazol-2-yl-amino)phenyl]amine and N-[3-(benzoxazol-2-ylamino)phenyl]amine derivatives. In vitro cytotoxicity assay of 26 selected compounds was carried out at National Cancer Institute (NCI), USA. Out of them, compounds 10e (NSC D-762842/1) and 11s (NSC D-764942/1) have shown remarkable cytotoxicity with GI₅₀ values ranging between "0.589-14.3 µM" and "0.276-12.3 µM," respectively, in the representative nine subpanels of human tumor cell lines. Further, flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that compound 10e exerted cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase and showed dose-dependent enhancement in apoptosis in K-562 leukemia cancer cells.

Recent developments and strategies for the discovery of TACE inhibitors

INTRODUCTION

TNF-α plays a central role in certain autoimmune diseases as well as in inflammation. The current strategy for excluding TNF-α from circulation is to selectively inhibit TNF-α converting enzyme (TACE), an enzyme that cleaves mTNF-α to active TNF-α. Various TACE inhibitors have been discovered by using different strategies to control inflammatory diseases, cancer, and cardiac hypertrophy.

AREAS COVERED

The present article summarizes the design and discovery of novel TACE inhibitors that have been reported in the literature since 2012 onwards. It also includes some reports concerning the new role that TACE plays in cancer and cardiac hypertrophy.

EXPERT OPINION

So far, undertaken studies that have looked to design and develop small TACE inhibitors have been discouraging due to the failure of any TACE inhibitors to hit the market. However, some of the latest developments, such as with tartrate-based inhibitors, has given hope to the potentiality of a viable novel selective TACE inhibitor therapeutic in the future. Indeed, some of the novel peptidomimetics and monoclonal antibodies have great potential to pave the way for an effective and safe therapy by selectively inhibiting TACE enzyme.

Methods for Hydroxamic Acid Synthesis

Substituted hydroxamic acid is one of the most extensively studied pharmacophores because of their ability to chelate biologically important metal ions to modulate various enzymes, such as HDACs, urease, metallopeptidase, and carbonic anhydrase. Syntheses and biological studies of various classes of hydroxamic acid derivatives have been reported in numerous research articles in recent years but this is the first review article dedicated to their synthetic methods and their application for the synthesis of these novel molecules. In this review article, commercially available reagents and preparation of hydroxylamine donating reagents have also been described.

New pyrazolyl-dibenzo[b,e][1,4]diazepinones: room temperature one-pot synthesis and biological evaluation

Several new (5-aryloxy-pyrazolyl)- and (5-aryl/olefin-sulfanyl-pyrazolyl)-dibenzo[b,e] [1,4] diazepinone scaffolds have been synthesized, by assembling 5-substituted 3-methyl-1-phenyl-pyrazole-4-carbaldehydes of varied nature with different cyclic diketones and aromatic diamines successfully in the presence of indium chloride in acetonitrile, at room temperature. Desired products are excellent in the purity and isolated without chromatography. All new structures are confirmed, on the basis of single-crystal X-ray diffraction data of representative 29e. Compounds reported in the present work revealed good antioxidant, antimicrobial and antiproliferative activities with promising FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power), bacterial resistance and human solid tumor cell growth inhibitory values, respectively. Compounds 25c and 29e, overall, registered good to moderate activity against A549 (lung), HeLa (cervix), SW1573 (lung) T-47D (breast) and WiDr (colon) cell lines, with GI₅₀ values in the 2.6-5.1 μM and 1.8-7.5 μM ranges, respectively. Molecular docking was carried out to elucidate the binding modes of the compounds (25c, 29e) to topoisomerase I and II.

Macrocyclic θ-defensins suppress tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) shedding by inhibition of TNF-α-converting enzyme

Theta-defensins (θ-defensins) are macrocyclic peptides expressed exclusively in granulocytes and selected epithelia of Old World monkeys. They contribute to anti-pathogen host defense responses by directly killing a diverse range of microbes. Of note, θ-defensins also modulate microbe-induced inflammation by affecting the production of soluble tumor necrosis factor (sTNF) and other proinflammatory cytokines. Here, we report that natural rhesus macaque θ-defensin (RTD) isoforms regulate sTNF cellular release by inhibiting TNF-α-converting enzyme (TACE; also known as adisintegrin and metalloprotease 17; ADAM17), the primary pro-TNF sheddase. Dose-dependent inhibition of cellular TACE activity by RTDs occurred when leukocytes were stimulated with live Escherichia coli cells as well as numerous Toll-like receptor agonists. Moreover, the relative inhibitory potencies of the RTD isoforms strongly correlated with their suppression of TNF release by stimulated blood leukocytes and THP-1 monocytes. RTD isoforms also inhibited ADAM10, a sheddase closely related to TACE. TACE inhibition was abrogated by introducing a single opening in the RTD-1 backbone, demonstrating that the intact macrocycle is required for enzyme inhibition. Enzymologic analyses showed that RTD-1 is a fast binding, reversible, non-competitive inhibitor of TACE. We conclude that θ-defensin-mediated inhibition of pro-TNF proteolysis by TACE represents a rapid mechanism for the regulation of sTNF and TNF-dependent inflammatory pathways. Molecules with structural and functional features mimicking those of θ-defensins may have clinical utility as TACE inhibitors for managing TNF-driven diseases.

Synthesis of Pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrimidine Enantiomers via Domino Ring-Closure followed by Retro Diels-Alder Protocol

From 2-aminonorbornene hydroxamic acids, a simple and efficient method for the preparation of pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrimidine enantiomers is reported. The synthesis is based on domino ring-closure followed by microwave-induced retro Diels-Alder (RDA) protocols, where the chirality of the desired products is transferred from norbornene derivatives. The stereochemistry of the synthesized compounds was proven by X-ray crystallography. The absolute configuration of the product is determined by the configuration of the starting amino hydroxamic acid.

Bioactive heterocycles containing endocyclic N-hydroxy groups

Drug-likeness rules consider N-O single bonds as "structural alerts" which should not be present in a perspective drug candidate. In most cases this concern is correct, since it is known that N-hydroxy metabolites of branded drugs produce reactive species that cause serious side effects. However, this dangerous reactivity of the N-OH species generally takes place when the nitrogen atom is not comprised in a cyclic moiety. In fact, the same type of metabolic behavior should not be expected when the nitrogen atom is included in the ring of an aromatic heterocyclic scaffold. Nevertheless, heterocycles bearing endocyclic N-hydroxy portions have so far been poorly studied as chemical classes that may provide new therapeutic agents. This review provides an overview of N-OH-containing heterocycles with reported bioactivities that may be considered as therapeutically relevant and, therefore, may extend the chemical space available for the future development of novel pharmaceuticals. A systematic treatment of the various chemical classes belonging to this particular family of molecules is described along with a discussion of the biological activities associated to the most important examples.

Novel methods and strategies in the discovery of TACE inhibitors

INTRODUCTION

Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is a key player in inflammation and joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). One treatment approach to exclude TNF-α from the biological system is by inhibiting tumor necrosis factor-alpha converting enzyme (TACE), the enzyme responsible for the production of its active form. To date, a number of TACE inhibitors have been reported in the literature from various strategies and methods.

AREAS COVERED

The following article presents the design and development strategies for the discovery of novel TACE inhibitors which could be of therapeutic utility for the alleviation of inflammatory conditions. The review is based on literature of the subject from 2005 onward.

EXPERT OPINION

Discovery of a selective TACE inhibitor has remained a major goal for many academic and pharmaceutical industrial research laboratories for quite some time. Identification of selective TACE inhibitors has proved elusive until recently due to structural similarities between TACE and MMPs. The differences in the shape and size of the S1' pocket of TACE and MMPs could be exploited to design selective TACE inhibitors devoid of any MMP inhibitory activity in the near future. It would be a Herculean task to develop a specific TACE inhibitor for clinical treatment of RA because binding subsites of TACE and MMPs are quite similar. However, developments taking place currently in the field as well as in the application of molecular modeling techniques at a wider scale could yet provide clinically useful selective TACE inhibitors in the not too distant future.